Drain plug for plastic swimming pools



y 3, 1967 J. J. D'AN TONIO, SR 3,320,623

DRAIN PLUG FOR PLASTIC SWIMMING POOLS Filed Feb. 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. M05524 dafiwmmsn BY May 23, 1967 J. J. DANTONIO, SR

DRAIN PLUG FOR PLASTIC SWIMMING POOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1965 United States Patent 3,320,623 DRAIN PLUG FUR PLASTIC SWIMMING POOLS Joseph .I. DAntonio, Sr., 2709 Athania Parkway, Metairie, La. 70002 Filed Feb. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 429,387 4 Claims. (Cl. 4--172) The present invention relates to an improved drain plug construction for plastic swimming pools, and more particularly the invention relates to an improved plug having a fiat bottom port-ion for interfitting with a drain located and constructed in the bottom portion of a circularly contoured swimming pool, said aperture also having a flat bottom, and for providing a hose having a flat bottom portion for mutually engaging and coupling with the drain aperture, so that the flat bottom portions thereof are in alignment.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved drain plug for facilitating the draining of plastic swimming pools of water collected therein.

Another object and advantage of the invention is that it seeks to provide means for facilitating the coupling of a discharge hose to the improved drain connection, so that the end of the hose being used to couple to the drain plug is snapped in place and is generally retained there until it is removed by displacement of the snap action.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken away plan elevation view of a portion of a circular corrugated steel frame having the drain plug in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view taken toward the drain plug in a broken away port-ion of the corrugated steel frame comprising the swimming pool, in which the present invention is embodied therein;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an inside plan elevation view taken on the opposite side from that view shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 shows an exploded view showing the component parts of the improved drain plug of the present invention; and

FIGURE 6 shows a hose adapted to be readily coupled to the improved drain plug and aperture of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a plastic swimming pool 10 that is constructed of a circular corrugated steel frame 12, as particularly shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3 among others, and having an aperture 14 disposed at a bottom portion thereof. The bottom portion of the aperture 14 connects with the bot-tom 16 of the pool element 18. The aperture 14 receives a liner 20 which fits within the aperture, and the bottom portion thereof is shown as being of flat construction so that it is aligned with the shape of the aperture 14. The liner 20 extends within the aperture, and over and about the liner 20 there is disposed a pair of collars 22, 24, one being disposed within and the other Without the steel frame 12.

A plastic inner liner 28 extends down and engages the entire inner surface of the swimming pool construction and frame except that portion formed by the aperture 14. The portion of the inner liner 28 connecting with the aperture is sealed or otherwise secured onto the liner 20. A resilient or plastic collar set 30, 32 is disposed about the liner 20, and these collars may be constructed of elastomeric or other similar material. The collars 30, 32 may be C-shaped so that they engage principally the round portion of the lining 20, and they need not extend beneath the aperture liner 20.

When it is desired to close olf the aperture through the linear 20, there is provided a plug 38 having a strap coupling means 40 secured onto the cap portion of the plug 38, and the distal end of the strap 40 is welded or cemented onto the plastic inner liner 28 proximate to the aperture. In this way, the plug 38 is adapted to fit into the aperture formed within the liner 20, and in order to further facilitate the ease in assembling the plug into the liner 20, an ear 44 is provided so thatit may be grasped by the hand and then inserted into or removed from the aperture formed by the liner 20.

The collars 22, 24 that engage, respectively, the outer and the inner peripheral portions about the aperture are also substantially C-shaped in construction, so that they fit about the upper and outer portions of the aperture without extending beneath the bottom of the aperature. Thus the aperture is completed on the bottom side thereof solely by the construction and bottom portion of the liner 20 which portion is shown as element 48. In order to provide ease in coupling a hose onto the liner 20, a hose having a fiat portion, as shown in FIGURE 6, is provided to be inserted within the aperture of the liner 20, and the end of the hose 50 is shown having a pair of beads or collars 52, 54 so that they engage a pair of recessed annular recesses 62, 64, accordingly. Thus the beads are spaced the same distance as the recesses, and thus the construction is provided so that the beads 52, 5'4 snap or engage securely into and with the recesses 62, 64.

When it is desired to drain the swimming pool, the drain hose is connected to the liner 20 in the above described fashion, and the water can be removed as soon as the plug 38 is removed from the inner side of the aperture. The hose can readily be removed by pulling the hose out of engagement with the liner 20. Hoses can be of varying lengths, as desired.

Additional and further embodiments of the invention in this specification will occur to others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodiment described hereinabove. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A drain for a plastic swimming pool comprising a circular corrugated steel frame with an aperture at the bottom thereof, said aperture being generally circularly contoured but flat on the bottom thereof, a pair of C- shaped collars for being disposed on the inner and outer sides of the aperture and contoured to fit the shape of the aperture, a liner .for said aperture fitting within the collars and being retained in place by said collars, a plastic sheet lining for said frame and engaging with the edge portions of the aperture and secured to the end of the liner, and a plastic plug for the aperture of said liner and having an engaging strap secured to the plastic inner lining at one end thereof, and wherein the other end of said strap is secured to said plug.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said plug is provided with an ear for handling when opening or closing the drain.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein a drain hose that is generally circular in cross-section is provided with a. flat portion thereof for being aligned with the aperture of said liner, for enabling increased flow of water from the swimming pool.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein a pair of heads is disposed around the circular portion of an end of said hose for engaging recesses similarly disposed within the liner for engaging the hose to said liner and drain assembly While Water is being dispensed from said pool.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Lobl 150-8 Lobl 150-8 Lobl 1508 Munk 1508 Fischett 4177 Stilwell 1508 10 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DRAIN FOR A PLASTIC SWIMMING POOL COMPRISING A CIRCULAR CORRUGATED STEEL FRAME WITH AN APERTURE AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID APERTURE BEING GENERALLY CIRCULARLY CONTOURED BUT FLAT ON THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A PAIR OF CSHAPED COLLARS FOR BEING DISPOSED ON THE INNER AND OUTER SIDES OF THE APERTURE AND CONTOURED TO FIT THE SHAPE OF THE APERTURE, A LINER FOR SAID APERTURE FITTING WITHIN THE COLLARS AND BEING RETAINED IN PLACE BY SAID COLLARS, A PLASTIC SHEET LINING FOR SAID FRAME AND ENGAGING WITH THE EDGE PORTIONS OF THE APERTURE AND SECURED TO THE END OF THE LINER, AND A PLASTIC PLUG FOR THE APERTURE OF SAID LINER AND HAVING AN ENGAGING STRAP SECURED TO THE PLASTIC INNER LINING AT ONE END THEREOF, AND WHEREIN THE OTHER END OF SAID STRAP IS SECURED TO SAID PLUG. 